Dental implants are a great replacement for missing teeth, but they can fail if you do not look after them well. Follow these tips to help your dental implants last for the rest of your life.
1. Keep Them Clean
Just like natural teeth, dental implants need daily brushing and flossing to keep them clean. If you do not clean your dental implants, plaque can build up around them, which can lead to bad breath and gum disease. The best way to clean your dental implants is to floss between them with string floss or a floss pick, followed by brushing them with a manual or electric toothbrush.
2. Be Gentle
It is important not to apply excessive pressure to your dental implants. Scrubbing them too hard with a toothbrush can scratch the surface, leading to them looking dull or developing stains. Pressing too hard can also lead to sore gums. If you use an electric toothbrush, pay attention to the pressure sensor to ensure you don't apply too much pressure.
3. Don't Smoke
Smoking isn't good for anyone's dental health, but it's particularly important to avoid it if you have dental implants. Tobacco inhibits the body's ability to heal after dental implant surgery. Over the long term, smoking harms the health of your gums and jaw bone, which provide essential support to your dental implants.
4. Improve Blood Flow
After the initial healing phase of your recovery from dental implant surgery, your body spends several months working hard to integrate dental implants with your gums and jaw. You can help this process along by using a gum stimulation attachment for your electric toothbrush to improve blood flow in your gums. Chewing with your dental implants also helps to provide the stimulation they need to integrate, so you should return to eating solid foods as soon after surgery as it is comfortable to do so.
5. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Regular dental checkups are more important than ever when you have dental implants. Your dentist can check that your gums are healthy enough to support the implants. If there are any signs of gum disease, they can recommend treatment. Finally, if you crack or chip one of your implants, a dentist can easily replace the crown to get your smile looking good as new once again. Be sure to keep a regular schedule of check-ups and do not hesitate to contact your dentist if any issues arise.
For more information on dental implants, contact a local dental surgeon.
